Footage indicator for motion-picture apparatus



Oct. 21, 1952 s. McKEE 2,614,752

FOOTAGE INDICATOR FOR MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 2, 1949 EDA/41 F175. [Ya/ 55' INVENTOR M JmU N.

BY W ORNEY w AGE Patented Oct. 21, 1952 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTAGE INDICATOR FOR MOTION- PICTURE APPARATUS Edward (S. ;McKee,-Rochester, N. Y., assignor vto Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New-Jersey Applicationnecember 2, 1949, SerialNo.-1-3,0 ,669

This invention relates to a ratchet-type assembly, and more particularly' tca 'ratchettype footage, indicator for use with motion picture apparatus.

Footage indicators of'the ratchet type are well known and as used in motion picture apparatus "aregenerallymounted onthe casing of the apparatus withtheactuating mechanism mounted on 'the internalVmechanism plate or block of the apparatus. The visible or outer scale of such indicators "is positively driven and a holding member'usually engages the ratchet to prevent retrograde movement of the ratchet and scale. ,As a result, thelscale can be rotated "in only'one direction'to return"it to its zero orstarting p051- Qtion, irrespective of the distance that the zero jpointmayi have been moved" from the index mark. .Inthe present invention this difficulty has been overcome by providing a ifrictional "connection between the scale or its rotating member and the means for intermittently rotating said-member.

T-The primary'object of lithelinvention, therefore, is the provision of a ratchet assembly in which the intermittent rotation of :the ratchet'member .is 'frictionally transmitted to the rotatable ,or

driven member on which the indicating .meansris secured.

Another object of'the inventionistheprovision of a ratchet type of footage indicator'in which a resilient means frictionally transmits the unidirectional rotation of theratchet memberto the indicating means and permits manual rotation of the indicating'meansin eitherdirection inde- 'pendently of theiratchet'member.

Still another object of the invention is the'provision of a ratchet type or .footage indicator in which the ratchet member, theyactuating member for the ratchet member, and the resilient means for Jfrictionally transmitting the motion of the ratchet areassembledonthedriven member fortheindicating means toprovide a compact and easily assembled indicator.

Other andfurther objects 'of the invention "will be suggested to 'thoseskilled in'the -art by-the description which follows:

The "above and otherobje'cts of theinvention are embodied-in a ratchet assembly comprising adrivedmem'ber, an indicating'means onsaid driven'member and rotatable therewith, an intermediate drivemember rotatably'mounted on said driven member and havinga toothed-periphery,

can actuating memberpivotally mounted on said driven member and havingan arm adapted upon 'movementthereofto pivot said actuating memher ,and a second arm in engagement with, sai

toothed periphery and adaptedupon movement cf'said first-mentionedarm torotate said intermediate drive member, a holding: means for fricionally engagingv said'toothed periphery to prevent retrograde movement of said intermediate drive .member, and resilient means friction-ally engagingasaid drivenmember fcr rotating said driven :member {upon movement of ;-said firstmentioned arm and for permitting said indicating means to be rotated independently of said intermediate drive member.

Reference is now madeito :the accompanying cirawing wherein similar reference numerals idesignate similar parts and-wherein:

Figure 1 isa sideelevation ;of a motionpicture apparatuaequipped with azratchet :type .footage L indicator according :to the invention;

"Figure 2is an enlarged :sicie: elev,,ation of-the internal mechanism of the; apparatus ,and showing the relation i or: the actuating mechanism :for the indicator :with respect to the spring jmotor drive of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a verticalrsectiontaken substantially on :line 31'3 of "Figure 2 "and I showing rthe arrangement by :which the/ indicating imeans -;or

scale is (driven and mounted with respect to-the ratchet member;

Figure 4 is a detail :perspectivemview :of the actuating; member and showing the relation betweenithe rigid actuating armcandtheiresilient ratchet advancing arm; and

Figure 5 (is a detail perspective view 10f the holding means forthe ratchetmember. 1

Although the improved rfootage "'indicatorpis illustrated anddescribedwith respect to armotion picture apparatus; it .isi'to :ibe aun'derstoodthat the invention is also applicable to all types of ratchet assemblies.

"According to; thezillustrated embodiment of: the invention, the ratchet assemblyis contained .withina casing Hihaving sidewalls ;H and ,an

edge'wall' i2. 'Ifhedrivemeans for actuating said ratchet assembly is mounted within said casing and includes a .trip amember:onthe-periphery thereof. vdrivingzmember such as spring motor 1-3 which aisirotatabletabout a shaft 114 extendingbetween side walls :I i cfJtheacasing. Spring-motordrum E5 contains a spring It which :has one end attached tolthe '-drum'2and1the other'end secured Suchv a drive means may comprise a to shaftlsikiain. a welleknown manner. Thettrip I member, orizpin. H,- is mounted. on i the periphery of drumhl 5" for-a purpose;toabedescribedherein- The ratchet assembly is mounted within casing ID on the mechanism block I3, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. The driven member or shaft 20 is journalled in boss 2I on block I8 and extends beyond said boss and into an aperture 22 in side wall I I. The shaft is maintained in proper relationto wall I I by the spaced retaining members 23 and is provided wit a third retaining member 24 between block I8 and wall II for a purpose to be described hereinafter. Such retaining members may be of the split expansion type which, when assembled, are seated in spaced grooves 25 in shaft 23. At its outer end shaft 20 is provided with flats 26 and a tapped hole 27.

The indicating means or scale disc 23 is provided with an aperture 23 congruent to the end of shaft 20 and is secured thereto by screw 3!), disc 28 and shaft 23 being rotatable as a unit. Disc 28 is contained in a well 3! provided in wall I I with an index mark 32 thereon and has a scale and/or series of footage numerals 33 engraved on the top surface thereof. A plurality of protuberanc-es 34 provide a means for grasping disc 28 to set the numerals 33 with respect to index 32 The intermediate drive member or ratchet 35 is freely rotatable on shaft 29 and is provided with a toothed periphery 36. It will be noted from Figure 3 that ratchet 35 is located on shaft 20 between the spaced retaining members 23 and 24.

The actuating member 40 is also freely rotatable on shaft 20 although it is limited to an oscillating motion for intermittently advancing ratchet 35 tooth by tooth. Member 40 is provided with an extension 4] which is formed upward at each side, the left side being formed into an arm 42 with a formed over end 43 and the right side being formed upwardly, as indicated at 44, and on which a resilient arm 45 is secured. The shape and relation of arms 42 and 45 can best be understood by reference to Figures 2 and 4. When assembled, actuating member 40 is psitioned on shaft 29 so that arm 42 engages the periphery of drum I and lies in the path of pin I! and arm 45 engages mechanism block I8 with outer end 46 and toothed periphery 36 with the inner end 47, as shown in Figure 2.

The holding means 50, see Figure 5, prevents retrograde motion of ratchet 35 and also is located in position by shaft 29. Th holding means comprises a pair of spaced ears 5I, which straddle the pin 52 on block I8 for preventing rotation or movement of said part as shaft 20 is rotated, and a formed finger 53 for frictionally engaging toothed periphery 35, as shown in Figure 2, to prevent retrograde movement of ratchet 35.

A resilient means is utilized for maintaining the ratchet in frictional engagement with shaft 20. Such a resilient member may take the form of a dished spring member 60 which with the ratchet 35 is located on shaft 20 between the spaced retaining members 23 and 24. The force of spring 60 urges ratchet 35 into frictional engagement with member 24 which, in turn, is urged against its groove to rotate shaft 20 upon rotation of ratchet 35. It will be noted from Figure 3 that actuating member 40 and holding means 50 are mounted on shaft 20 between member 23 and boss 2I so that the force exerted by spring 60 is confined between retaining members 23 and 24, thereby permitting actuating member 40 to be oscillated freely on shaft 20.

Upon rotation of drum I5 by spring I3, in the direction of the arrow indicated in Figure 2, pin I1 is rotated with said drum and upon each revolution of said drum strikes arm 42 to move it and actuating member 40 in a counterclockwise direction against the action of the resilient arm 45. The pivoting motion of member 40 by pin I I flexes arm 45 so that it tends to straighten out, thereby increasing its effective length. As arm 45 straightens out, the inner end 41 rotates the ratchet and the outer end 46 moves along block I8. Since arm 45 is resilient, it immediately assumes its original form after pin I! has been moved past end 43 so that member is returned to its normal position and inner end 47 is moved over ratchet 35 to pick up the next tooth. Arm also serves to prevent retrograde movement of ratchet 45 in addition to maintaining member 40 in its normal position and intermittently advancing ratchet 35.

Since ratchet 35 is freely rotatable on shaft 20 and frictionally coupled thereto, the scale disc 28 can be rotated in either direction independently of said ratchet. As the scale disc 28 and shaft 20 are manually rotated as a unit in a clockwise direction, the ratchet is positively held against rotation by finger 41 and frictionally held against rotation by finger 53, but the scale disc and shaft are free to rotate, spring allowing shaft 20 to slip when rotated in that direction. In the opposite direction, finger 41 has no effect and ratchet 3 rotates with disc 28 and shaft 20 against the action of finger 53. Pin I'I determines the amount of movement of arm 42, and, hence, the amount of flexing that is imparted to arm 45. Therefore, the number of teeth moved by arm 45 for each revolution of the drum for intermittently advancing ratchet 35 depends on the height of said pin. In the present embodiment, pin I! is of such a height that ratchet 35 is rotated a single tooth for each revolution of the drum.

Since other varieties of the invention are possible, the scope of the invention is not to be limited in any respect by the present disclosure, but is defined in the appended claims.

Having now particularly described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, and what I claim is:

1. A ratchet type indicator comprising a driven member, an indicating means on said driven member and rotatable therewith, an intermediate drive member rotatably mounted on said driven member and having a toothed periphery, an actuating member pivotally mounted on said driven member and having an arm adapted upon movement thereof to pivot said actuating mem ber and a second arm in engagement with said toothed periphery to prevent retrograde movement of said intermediate drive member and adapted upon movement of said first-mentioned arm to rotate said intermediate drive member, and resilient means frictionally engaging said driven member and said intermediate drive member for rotating said driven member upon movement of said first-mentioned arm and for permitting said indicating means to be rotated in dependently of said intermediate drive member.

2. A ratchet type indicator comprising a driven member, an indicating means on said driven member and rotatable therewith and including a graduated scale having a zero position, an intermediate drive member rotatably mounted on said driven member and having a toothed periphery, an actuating member pivotally mounted on said driven member and having an arm adapted upon movement thereof to pivot said actuating member and a resilient arm in engagement with said toothed periphery to prevent retrograde movement of said intermediate drive member and adapted upon movement of said first-mentioned arm to rotate said intermediate drive member through a predetermined angle, and resilient means frictionally engaging said driven member and intermediate drive member for rotating said intermediate drive member upOn movement of said resilient arm and for permitting said indicating means to be rotated in either direction for returning said scale to said zero position.

3. A ratchet type indicator comprising a driven member and including spaced retaining members, an indicating means on said driven member and rotatable therewith and including a graduated scale having a zero position, an intermediate drive member having a toothed periphery and rotatably mounted on said driven member and between said retaining members, an actuating member pivotally mounted on said driven member and having an arm adapted upon movement thereof to pivot said actuating member and a resilient arm in engagement with said 6 toothed periphery to prevent retrograde movement of said intermediate drive member and adapted upon movement of said first-mentioned arm to rotate said intermediate drive member through a predetermined angle, a holding means for frictionally engaging said toothed periphery to prevent retrograde movement of said intermediate drive member, and resilient means between said spaced retaining members for maintaining said intermediate drive member in frictional engagement with one of said retaining members for rotating said driven member upon movement of said first-mentioned arm and for permitting said indicating means to be rotated independently of said intermediate drive member.

EDWARD S. McKEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 461,308 Blair et al Oct. 13, 1891 2,289,827 Crumrine July 14, 1942 

